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Saturday in Detroit was full of examples of the contradictions and extremes of the city.

My partner and I went on a Valentine’s Day outing that aimed for maximum fancy schmanciness: The Detroit Institute of Art followed by dinner at the Whitney, the 52-room historic mansion just a couple of blocks down Woodward. The DIA, the Whitney and the Detroit Opera House are all examples of stunning Detroit decadence: the chandeliers, the marble, the elaborate frescoes. You can argue they’re relics of a past era, but hey, they’re still standing and they’re still open, aren’t they?

The DIA in particular was hopping, with hours extended to 10 p.m. and long lines to get in to see the Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus exhibit. Sadly, we failed to reserve tickets in advance and were shut down when we tried to get in. But the rest of the museum and the people watching were worth it, with some dressing to the nines in fur coats.